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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. key — in music
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. clip — a video
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kick — in football
  22. snap — to click
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com